Equilibrium/Sustainability — Arctic storm system kicks off transcontinental trip

Heavy snow has begun pummeling parts of the Pacific Northwest, kicking off an arctic storm that could bring “bitter cold and dangerous wind chills” across the central U.S. by Thursday, the National Weather Service (NWS) warns.

NWS storm forecasters on Tuesday described “potentially hazardous weather conditions” that could extend from the Northwest and Great Plains to the Appalachians through midweek.

These conditions stem from a strong arctic high-pressure system that now extends from Western Canada to the Northern Plains, according to the NWS.  

The heaviest snowfall will likely blanket the higher terrain of the Cascades, northern Idaho, northwest Montana and western Wyoming, the meteorologists said.  

But the “repository of dangerous arctic air” will then head south by Thursday — bringing temperatures as low as -30 degrees Fahrenheit in the northern Great Basin, northern Rockies and Great Plains, the forecasters warned. 

Combined with wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour, wind chill values could drop to about -40 degrees Fahrenheit in the Central and North-Central U.S., according to the NWS.

“This level of cold can be life threatening and lead to frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes,” the meteorologists said.

While the northern half of the U.S. will likely be particularly frigid, some of this “bitterly cold air” could reach as far south as Texas, the Gulf Coast and Florida, the Weather Channel reported.  

The Weather Channel also warned the storm could evolve into a so-called “bomb cyclone” over the Midwest later this week — bringing blizzard conditions to the Great Lakes and high winds to the East Coast.  

Such conditions, the Weather Channel added, could end up “snarling travel in the days leading up to the Christmas holiday weekend.” 

Welcome to Equilibrium, a newsletter that tracks the growing global battle over the future of sustainability. We’re Saul Elbein and Sharon Udasin. Send us tips and feedback. A friend forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here or in the box below.

Today we’ll review New York’s game-changing climate plan, followed by a major chemicals company’s big move away from forever chemicals. Then: A big Senate disaster bill is the capstone of a year of extreme weather. 

NY panel finalizes ‘nation-leading’ climate blueprint

A New York State panel moved on Monday evening to adopt a roadmap of comprehensive climate measures that will land on Gov. Kathy Hochul’s (D) desk in the new year.  

Meeting state targets: The so-called “Climate Scoping Plan” passed in a 19-3 vote in the New York State Climate Action Council — a body tasked with preparing a blueprint to meet the state’s clean energy and climate targets. 

• The plan must be submitted to the governor and the state legislature by
  Jan. 1, 2023.
  
• It includes recommendations aimed at slashing greenhouse gas emissions, electrifying transportation, securing climate justice and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. 

A gargantuan task: The blueprint outlines actions the council deemed necessary for New York to achieve what it described as “nation-leading” climate goals established in the state’s 2019 climate law. 

• Among these targets are the use of 70 percent renewable energy resources by 2030 and the creation of a zero-emission electricity sector by 2040.  
  
• Also included are a 40 percent reduction in statewide emissions from 1990 levels by 2030 and an 85 percent decrease by 2050. 

Toward a new economy: “This plan serves as a bold, monumental achievement not just for New York State, but for the nation and the world,” Climate Action Council co-chair Basil Seggos said in a statement. 

Seggos touted the plan’s focus on equity and justice, as well as its ability to transition the state’s workforce into a “new clean energy economy.”  

What’s in the plan? The blueprint recommends a long list of investments in decarbonization efforts and calls for concrete climate actions. 

• Accelerated efficiency and electrification mechanisms could transition between 1 million and 2 million homes to clean heating and cooling options by 2030, it states.
  
• The plan also supports the statewide scale-up of about 3 million zero-emission vehicles on the roads by that year. 
  
• Other steps include retrofitting grid infrastructure to withstand extreme weather, as well as deploying energy storage to improve grid reliability. 

Ensuring climate justice: At the core of the plan are also actions aimed at addressing the fact that environmental burdens hit disadvantaged communities hardest. 

New York’s 2019 climate law requires such communities to receive a minimum of
35 percent of benefits from clean energy and energy efficiency programs, the council explained. 

How can NY fulfill these goals? The plan recommends addressing energy affordability, as well as enabling full participation in the clean energy economy through union-based jobs. 

• The blueprint also includes strategies for protecting workers who may be vulnerable to potential disruption during the green economy transition.  
  
• Some such protections include support for displaced workers and new career pathway programs into clean energy.  

For more details and how much the plan would cost, click here for the full story.

3M to ease off ‘forever chemical’ production by 2025

Industrial giant 3M announced on Tuesday that it will stop making and discontinue the use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — or forever chemicals — by the end of 2025. 

Clear end date: By that deadline, 3M pledged to halt production of all fluoropolymers and fluorinated fluids — types of PFAS products that are typically used as coatings to resist grease or water. 

• The company would also cease manufacturing items with PFAS-based additives by that time. 
  
• 3M also said it would strive to end the use of PFAS across its product portfolio by that same date.  

What are PFAS again? They’re a class of thousands of synthetic compounds known for their propensity to linger in the human body and in water and land resources.  

• These cancer-linked substances are common in many household products, such as nonstick pans, waterproof apparel and cosmetics.  
  
• They are also notorious for their presence in jet fuel firefighting foam and industrial discharge. 

And 3M’s connection to PFAS? 3M was among the early purveyors of PFAS, compounds whose history dates back to atomic bomb research during World War II.

Regulations, environment, stakeholders: The company said Tuesday its decision was “based on careful consideration and a thorough evaluation of the evolving external landscape.” 

Some such factors in that landscape included “accelerating regulatory trends” that have focused on reducing PFAS in the environment, as well as stakeholder expectations, according to 3M. 

A tense backdrop: The announcement also comes amid a variety of lawsuits against 3M and other PFAS manufacturers, as well as regulatory pressures on these companies to make changes.  

• 3M’s current annual net sales of manufactured PFAS are about $1.3 billion, according to the company.  
  
• Over the course of the exit, 3M said it expects to incur related total pre-tax charges of between $1.3 billion and $2.3 billion. 

Looking forward: 3M Chairman and CEO Mike Roman said in a statement that the company sees “an opportunity to lead in a rapidly evolving external regulatory and business landscape.” 

Doing so, he added, can “make the greatest impact for those we serve” and position “3M for continued sustainable growth.” 

To read the full story, please click here.

Emergency bill directs nearly $40B for disaster relief

American lands and waterways devastated by natural disasters in 2022 will receive a combined $38 billion in both direct emergency and research funds under a new supplemental relief bill. 

What’s in the bill? That $38 billion includes:

• $5 billion to replenish the disaster relief funds at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
• About $4 billion for farm aid in drought- and flood- stricken counties 
• $520 million to help Western power districts buy fuel to make up for hydropower shortfalls 
• $2 billion for emergency wildfire funding 
• $1.6 billion to repair the damaged water system of Jackson, Miss. 
• $2.5 billion to repair damages on public lands, including the National Park system 

Repairing federal infrastructure: Much of the remaining funding will pay for repairs to federal property essential to both planning for and responding to disasters.  

• For example, $820 million will go to the National Science Foundation for both research and repairs
• More than $500 million will go to NASA
• Another $500 million will pay for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to repair and replace equipment used to track and respond to disasters like hurricanes.

Repairing the damage of war: A separate supplemental bill will direct $47 billion to Ukraine — the vast majority of which pays for weapons exports and direct U.S. operations in Europe.  

But $13 billion of that bill will pay for economic stimulus into Ukraine’s economy, which has suffered amid Russia’s invasion.

REPUBLICANS REJECT EPA BUILDOUT

The bill includes more than $10 billion for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) — a $576 million increase over 2022. 

• But that allowance represents a nearly $2 billion cut from the approximately $12 billion sought by the Biden administration. 
  
• Much of that increase will go into increasing the size of grant programs and paying for additional overhead costs like rents, leases and utilities. 

Rejecting Biden: In their budget statement, Senate Republicans touted their rejection of the president’s “radical environmental and climate policies,” and kept non-defense spending increases to just 5.5 percent over last year. 

More funding underway: However, the agency is set to receive more than
$100 billion from federal spending bills like the Inflation Reduction Act over the next few years, E&E News reported. 

Auto execs more pessimistic about electric future

Global automobile executives are feeling more pessimistic about the future of all-electric vehicles (EVs), according to a new survey. 

• Auto executives polled by consulting firm KPMG estimated that about
  35 percent of new cars sold in 2030 will be EVs. 
  
• That’s down from both the Biden administration goal of 50 percent — and the executives’ own prediction last November of 64 percent. 

Short term setbacks: “There’s still a sense of optimism long term, and yet, most importantly, there’s a sense of realism in the near term,” KPMG global head of automotive Gary Silberg told CNBC.

• Executives were responding to concerns ranging from inflation and supply chain constraints to the rising competition for the raw materials needed to make batteries. 
  
• They assumed that Tesla, Audi, BMW and Apple — which has not yet produced an EV but is rumored to be working on one — will lead the car industry in 2030. 
  
• That represents a steep loss in confidence for Ford since 2021. 

Hydrogen and hybrids: Other car industry leaders are questioning the primacy of EVs more generally, The Wall Street Journal reported. 

• Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda told a conference on Monday that a “silent majority” of auto executives are “wondering whether EVs are really OK to have as a single option.” 
  
• “But they think it’s the trend so they can’t speak out loudly,” Toyoda added.

Electric skeptics: Toyota is betting that fossil-fuel powered hybrids and hydrogen fuel-cell powered cars will retain substantial market share even in a largely electric powered world, the Journal noted. 

Perhaps because of this public push, just 55 of the 915 auto executives polled by KPMG this year think that Toyota will lead the EV world in 2030. 

Tuesday Transport

The Postal Service rethinks its electric strategy, Oregon and Washington join California’s zero-emission goals and the Biden administration cracks down on truck pollution. 

USPS goes electric

• New US Postal Service vehicles will be 100 percent electric beginning in 2026, the agency announced Tuesday, months after controversy erupted over the initial majority-gas-powered order. The Postal Service’s order of “next generation” vehicles will comprise 60,000 new cars and trucks, 45,000 of them electrified.

Full West Coast to back emission-free autos 

• Oregon and Washington will require all new vehicles sold in state to be zero-emission by 2035, our colleague Jared Gans reported. Both states are building on California’s model of enforcing more stringent auto emissions standards than those of the federal government.   

Biden administration finalizes rule to slash truck pollution 

• The Environmental Protection Agency has finalized a rule that’s expected to reduce nitrogen oxide pollution from heavy-duty trucks, our colleague Rachel Frazin reported. The EPA that its final rule is expected to result in up to 2,900 fewer premature deaths by 2045 18,000 fewer cases of childhood asthma. 

Please visit The Hill’s Sustainability section online for more and check out other newsletters here. We’ll see you tomorrow.